


The Silver Key: A Paranormal Chronicle

by sensational_legislational



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Ghost Hunting AU, Modern AU, Parallel to 385/2 Days, Roxas always calls Xemnas "Mr. Xemnas." it's a creative decision, the word "crate" 24 times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21776128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sensational_legislational/pseuds/sensational_legislational
Summary: In a town full of superstition and other wonders, the only thing standing between the people of Twilight Town and a horde of ghostly happenings is the ghost hunting business. Among the elite in ghost hunting is Organization 13, Paranormal Experts. Never have they disappointed a client, and they never plan to, even with a new trainee on the force. Roxas is determined to do his job well, at least once he finds out what his job is.
Relationships: Axel & Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	The Silver Key: A Paranormal Chronicle

Night fell upon Twilight Town, and with it a gentle haze of fuzzy lights and creeping activity. Yellow street lights bathed the town in a dim glow, providing just enough light to witness the normal goings-on of a quiet city in its growing pains. A stray cat toyed with a piece of discarded string in an alleyway. A group of teenagers laughed, out after their curfew and blissfully ignorant. A businessman staggered to his car after working late. Behind him, a shadow. To his left,  _ his _ shadow.

But the businessman doesn’t notice. It’s rare that anyone ever does.

Twilight Town was a pleasant city, welcoming and warm to visitors and residents alike. With the exception of the occasional incident, most people in the city never left. Simply put, Twilight Town felt like home. In fact, it was exactly this kind of charm that led to such rapid population growth. And, as is obvious to those who overthink, with growth comes commerce. Office buildings lined the business districts of the town like money in a billionaire’s pocket. Many of those buildings housed large companies, but most of them were home to a number of small businesses. Typically, none of them were out of the ordinary. A local bakery had an office at a nearby building. A loan shark made his nest in the neighboring block. But no matter what sort of businesses passed by, none were ever quite like the little company that had settled itself on the third floor of an often-overlooked office. In the lobby, its name shone on a small brass plaque by the receptionist’s desk.

_ Organization 13, Paranormal Investigation Experts _ .

One clear night, just the night before a full moon, Organization 13 held a meeting that would change their business forever.

"So, let me get this straight. You're hiring a kid?" Fluorescent lights flickered overhead a council of twelve businesspeople. Larxene's comment represented the general opinion of the eleven others present, with the exception of the singular company head.

"Correct," said Xemnas, adjusting his black silk tie. "He shows considerable promise in this field. With training, he could become a valuable asset to the company." Xemnas’ words never failed to quiet a room, if even for a few seconds. The room seemed to shift, as about half the listeners adjusted their positions in their chairs. Larxene rested an elbow on the secondhand conference table.

"He's still a kid," she said, picking at her nail polish. She shot a look at Marluxia, signaling him to back her up.

"What will our customers think?" Marluxia said unflinchingly, voicing the opinion he had in the first place.

"Exactly what they are meant to." Xemnas' neutral expression never faltered. "He is a young prodigy just beginning to realize his power. A child so talented with supernatural affairs that an organization of adults puts their trust in him. That type of character sells remarkably well."

"Yeah, but what if he does something stupid on the job?" said Larxene. "That can't be good for business."

"No mistake Roxas makes will endanger us in any way, I assure you," said Xemnas.

"Um, what about exposing us? That’s pretty big."

Xemnas smiled. "We are in no danger of that. Roxas is a masterful illusionist."

Axel, unlike the rest of his coworkers in plainclothes, assumed a relaxed position, reclined in his seat. "Besides," he chimed in, "It's not like your track record is much better, Larx." He watched in amusement as Larxene’s pursed lips closed even tighter. She shook her head in frustration.

“Whatever. As long as I don’t have to look after him.”

“Rest assured Roxas will be in capable hands,” said Xemnas. “I have already made provisions for this new arrival. I have given him his necessary briefing as a team member, and have appointed a mentor for him.”

“Then what was the point of the meeting in the first place?” Larxene muttered.

“I felt it necessary to make the announcement formally,” Xemnas replied. “Surely everyone should know before the appointment of a new member. Especially now that our number has reached thirteen.” He cast his level gaze to Axel. “Your support has been encouraging in the past several days, Axel. I leave Roxas and his training to you. I trust you will not disappoint us.”

Axel nodded, unwilling to express much else in front of his boss. The half of the room dressed in business attire eyed Axel in a kind of expectant judgement. All except Saïx.

“You may begin your training duties tomorrow,” continued Xemnas. “Know that Roxas will come to replace Saïx as a field officer. I expect a matching performance.”

“Yessir,” said Axel, making clear eye contact with the white drywall opposite him. The room remained quiet, sounds of passing traffic bleeding through the rented office block’s thin walls. As if prompted, Xigbar sat up in his chair and spoke.

“Seeing as there are no objections on the table at present, I’d like to call for this meeting’s adjournment, Boss. I know for a fact that there’s one donut left in the box outside, and it’s got my name on it.”

“A good call, Xigbar,” said Xemnas. “We’ll be one field officer short, so I expect everyone to be on time tomorrow. Are your instructions clear?” 

Murmurs of assent filled the room.

“Excellent. You may all return home.”

\- - -

That morning, Axel sat in the lobby.

The chairs weren’t comfortable. The tiles on the floor reflected the overhead lights too brightly. The tiles on the ceiling were in even worse shape. However, the clock was still running. At the beginning of a long work week, this was all that mattered to Axel. He let his thoughts drift as his eyes fixed on the gradual passage of time.

The minute hand reached the top of the clock, and the hour hand indicated that it was the ninth time that day it had done so. 

Just then, Roxas arrived at the office. He was precisely on time.

Of course, Axel had seen Roxas before. Xemnas would never leave a single detail out of place, most especially the fate of his own company. But for the first time Roxas saw Axel, Roxas was an odd sight, to say the least. His dark clothes were plain and ordinary. His height didn’t amount to much. He carried a cheap-looking backpack with a flashlight the size of his forearm in one of its side pockets. The backpack itself dug into Roxas’ shoulders, sagging below the point where backpacks usually sit.

“Jeez, kid, how much stuff you got in there?” Axel said involuntarily, rising from his seat at the sight of the boy. Roxas gazed at Axel, tilting his head up slightly. 

“Mr. Xemnas told me to bring everything,” he said, betraying no emotion.

“I see. That’s a little weird.” Axel muttered that last part, expecting a reaction from Roxas. Of course, the boy didn’t say a word. He just stared, either at Axel or into oblivion.

“So, you’re Roxas, huh?” Axel said, bending slightly to match Roxas’ eye level.

“Yeah,” said Roxas. He looked up at Axel’s face, his own face and body unmoving.

“Well, my name is Axel,” said Axel, trying to maintain a natural conversation. “I’m the one that’s gonna train you until you’re a full-time worker for us, all right?”

“Axel…” Roxas repeated.

“... That’s my name, yeah.” Axel watched as Roxas tilted his gaze downward and furrowed his brow, as if working hard on a thought. “Hope you’re good with names, kid. You might have to learn the names of everyone else in the office.”

“... Okay,” said Roxas, shifting his hefty backpack. 

Something on Axel's person caught Roxas’ eye. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to a cylindrical object in the outer pocket of Axel's long coat. Axel tugged on his coat, revealing two red flares, each capped with a plastic tip.

“These?” Axel removed one and held it within Roxas’ view. “These are road flares.” Roxas’ expression remained blank, showing no signs of recognition.

“They’re, uhh…” Axel began explaining, “Kinda like candles. Except they make a lot of light and a little noise.” Roxas looked at the flare, and then back at Axel. With wide eyes, he asked a genuine question.

“How does it work?”

Just then, Axel saw something in Roxas’ eyes for the very first time. Where there was previously nothing but blankness, Axel saw a single spark of curiosity. And although Axel didn’t know it, there was another faint spark in his own eye that hadn’t been there for a very long time.

“Here,” said Axel, handing the flare to Roxas. “See that plastic cap?”

“Yeah,” said Roxas.

“If you take it off, you can see the end of the flare.” With some difficulty, Roxas yanked off the cap, feeling it in his hands after wrenching it free.

“Look at that lump at the end, right there.” Roxas felt the hard bump of ignition powder with his index finger and nodded. “That’s where you strike it to light it,” Axel explained.

Roxas paused, then asked another question. “How do you do that?” 

Axel was about to reply honestly when he remembered the setting of their conversation. “Actually, let’s save that for the work site,” Axel said, gesturing at Roxas to lower the flare. “I’m pretty sure the owners of this building wouldn’t appreciate us starting fires in their lobby.”

“Oh. When are we going to the work site?”

“Actually,” Axel looked at the clock. “Right now. It’s within walking distance from here.” Axel walked over to the clear glass door and swung it open. “You need to do anything before we head out?”

Roxas replied by shaking his head and walking through the door as Axel held it.

At nine in the morning, Twilight Town was settling down into a gentle quietness. Most commutes had ended by then, leaving the business districts humming with the absence of recent activity. Roxas could hear his own footsteps on the pale concrete as he stepped into the open. His surroundings felt clear and clean, if a little heavy. Roxas had never been this close to the ocean, but he found the encompassing atmosphere calming. Unaccustomed to the humid air, he took a few tentative breaths.

Axel began walking, motioning for Roxas to follow him. Roxas followed, backpack clanking as he matched Axel’s pace.

“Where are we going?” Roxas asked between breaths.

“Didn’t Xemnas let you know?” Axel remembered his physical height and slowed his pace. Roxas shook his head in response.

“Well, today’s assignment is a pretty easy one,” said Axel. “The city put us up to it. That means no client, no supervision, nothing. We can do whatever we need to today.” Axel watched as Roxas turned the flare around in his hands. “We’re going to the old subway tunnels. There’s openings to it around town, so naturally there’s been reports of shadowy shapes and weird noises coming from inside.”

Roxas gave a shiver. “Ghosts.”

Axel couldn’t restrain a small laugh. “Exactly! And we’re supposed to deal with them.”

Roxas paused. “Don’t ghosts usually come out at night?”

“We like to do our business at night. Makes it more convincing that way.” Axel winked. “But today, we don’t have to impress anyone. Plus, even if we had a client, the tunnels are dark enough anyway.”

Roxas fell silent, unsure of how to respond. His pace slowed as he tugged at the straps of his backpack, trying to lift a little of its weight off his shoulders.

“Looks heavy,” said Axel. “Want me to carry that for ya?” Roxas nodded, slipping a strap off one shoulder and swinging the backpack around to his front. Axel took it from his hands. He felt his arms nearly give out at the new weight.

“Whoa!” Axel stumbled a little, but recovered. “Xemnas really told you to bring everything, huh? What have you got in here, books?”

Roxas frowned. “You can’t find ghosts with books.”

“Sure you can,” said Axel, fiddling with the backpack’s zipper. “You just need to-”

Axel was cut off by the sound of small metallic objects hitting the pavement. He looked back to identify them. Small, bent metal rods with wooden handles lay on the concrete, doing nothing but reflecting sunlight. Roxas went to pick them up and return them to the backpack.

“Dowsing rods?” Axel said. “Really?”

“Mr. Xemnas said to bring them.” Roxas shrugged.

“I can’t remember the last time I used one of these,” Axel muttered. “Then again, I’m more of a flashy kind of guy.” Roxas handed the dowsing rods back to Axel, who stuffed them into the backpack once again. He slung it to his back, making a mental note to inspect the contents later.

Before long, the two turned a corner into the space between two smaller buildings. A dimly lit stairwell lay in front of them, leading down below the city floor. No postage indicated where it led or why it was there. It was simply there, gaping like the mouth of a creature that had lights installed in its mouth and throat. If it hadn’t been broad daylight, Roxas would have felt uneasy. But Roxas had seen scarier. In this situation, he was left with only mild apprehension in place of fear.

Axel peeked over at Roxas’ expression. “Spooky, right? You nervous?”

Roxas paused, reflecting on his own mood. After some consideration, he shrugged, meaning to express that he didn’t know. Axel interpreted the shrug differently.

“Yeah, even the best of us got nervous on our first few missions,” Axel said. “But once you know what you’re doing, it gets better.” Roxas didn’t need reassurance, but Axel took pride in reassuring him anyway.

The two descended the steps, each step ringing out slightly louder than the last. Axel tried to quiet his footsteps, but the echo of the tunnel amplified them past all his efforts. Roxas’ footsteps were nowhere to be heard. As they drew closer to the depth of the tunnel floor, a quiet ambient rushing of air became just loud enough to be noticeable. Axel watched Roxas take every step soundlessly, looking down at the stairs to ensure he wouldn’t trip. He became aware of the weight of Roxas’ backpack, relieved that he was the one carrying it instead of Roxas.

At the bottom of the steps, the concrete walls and ceiling seemed to wrap around the two. The air became unusually chill, being gradually cooled by the concrete and never warmed by the sun. Lightbulbs dotted the ceiling, each in their own little wire cage. A little distance away, piles of metal crates lined the walls and floor at the entrance, some rusty and worn with age. They formed a sizable blockage, obstructing the majority of the view beyond that portion of the tunnel.

“Jeez,” said Axel, sizing up a stack of crates. “You’d think they’d clear this up for us paranormal workers. How about a little respect?” They approached the pile, Axel a little faster than Roxas.

Roxas watched as Axel placed his backpack on the floor and hoisted himself onto a sturdy-looking crate. It made a clanging noise as Axel put his weight on it, but it remained sound enough to be used as a platform.

Axel used this new height boost to scout an easy path. “Oh, look,” he said, “They don’t disrespect us  _ that _ much. It’s just over this long one right here.”

Roxas looked up at the two crates he’d have to scale. “Is that okay?” Roxas said.

“What do you mean?” Axel reached down to grab the backpack he left on the floor.

“Is it okay for us to climb that?”

“Well, sure,” said Axel, lifting up the backpack with more difficulty than he’d planned for. “This stuff’s government property by now. If we break something, that’s their problem.”

Roxas said nothing, gingerly approaching the crate Axel stood on. He felt the metal with his fingers, rubbing the gritty surface instinctively.

“Besides,” Axel continued, “I don’t think anything’s in these crates anymore.” He stood up, putting the backpack on top of the long crate. He looked down at Roxas. “Need help?”

Roxas shook his head, confident of his ability to get on top of the three-foot crate.

“All right, but you’ll probably need help on this next one,” Axel said, grasping the edge of the long crate. It came to his chest, which was already quite far from the ground. He jumped off the first crate, letting his arms catch him in a bracing position. He pulled himself up and settled on the higher crate.

Roxas observed the ease with which Axel moved and aimed to emulate it in his ascent. He used the leverage of his arms to hop up and get a leg onto the first crate, following with the rest of him. He stood up, feeling the surface of the gritty metal crunch underneath his shoes. He looked up at Axel, who smiled and extended a hand.

“Grab on,” Axel said. “I’ll pull you up.” Roxas took Axel’s hand and grabbed the ledge of the taller crate, bracing himself for another jump.

“Ready?” Axel said, not planning on waiting for an answer. “On three. One, two, three!” Roxas sprung up, his feet barely rattling the crate below. Axel felt Roxas’ weight as he left the ground and pulled up harder than he had to. Roxas was shockingly light, almost lighter than the backpack he had been carrying. Axel hoisted him to the top of the crate as easily as he would hoist a load of groceries into his car.

Axel stared at Roxas, wanting to say something. Nothing worth saying came to his mind. As Roxas recovered, he noticed Axel watching him.

“Oh,” said Roxas, dusting off his clothes. “Sorry. Thank you.”

“Oh, uh… no problem.” Axel picked up the backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Well, we made it over. Look, the subway tunnels start right over there.” He pointed beyond the crate pile, to a place where the thick concrete diverged into two paths.

“I thought this was the subway tunnel,” said Roxas softly.

“Nope,” said Axel, glad for another educational opportunity. “This tunnel was used for moving extra stock for the shop next door. Back when it was a shop, of course.” Axel squatted down on the edge of the crate, looking for the next foothold. “Explains the crates. Doesn’t explain why they’re still here.”

“Ghosts?” Roxas suggested. Axel descended onto another crate, about four or five feet down. The crate made a loud clang, but maintained its structure.

“I dunno, maybe. Superstitions come and go. This crate is safe, by the way. Need help?” Roxas almost knew what the word “superstition” meant, but not enough to say anything in response. He shook his head.

Axel nodded and stepped the small distance back to the concrete floor of the tunnel. He watched as Roxas let himself slide onto the safe crate, making a much softer noise than Axel did. Roxas quickly followed Axel back to the ground.

“All right,” said Axel. “Back to the mission.”

When the two arrived at the subway entrance, the first thing Roxas noticed was the larger tunnel size. At first glance, it was as if the freight tunnel opened to the outside. Concrete arched over the cavern, giving a grand appearance to an otherwise mundane sight. As soon as they went through the entrance, however, Roxas was slightly disappointed to see that the ceiling height shortened again at either end of the larger room.

“Now would be a good time to use this,” said Axel, taking the large flashlight from the pocket of Roxas’ backpack. Roxas looked at it, puzzled. He hadn’t even noticed the relative dimness of the subway tunnels. The lightbulbs were visibly farther apart, but Roxas could still see quite well. He took the flashlight anyway, clicking it on and holding it vaguely in front of him.

“Careful of the edge,” Axel said. “There’s no safety rail.” Roxas looked to his right. The path they were walking on wound down the tunnel, separated from another path on the other side by a long ditch. Presumably, the subway tracks would have been laid in the ditch.

“I can see it,” Roxas said. Roxas was not pointing the flashlight at the edge.

Axel shrugged off his confusion, letting his mind wander during the winding walk to the work site. Just one more curve, one offshoot tunnel, and then they’d arrive at the spot where the city’s reports led them. There, he could begin the real lesson.

“Say,” said Axel, a thought suddenly occurring to him. “What’s your theme?”

“Huh?”

“You know. Once you find a ghost, what do you do to get rid of it? Larxene’s theme is electricity, so she does electric stuff in front of people. Demyx’s theme is water, so he does tricks with water. Stuff like that.”

“Um…” Roxas struggled to find words. Instead of speaking, he just shrugged.

“You don’t know?” Axel said. “But you’ve been ghost hunting before, right?”

Roxas nodded.

“How did you take care of the ghost?”

“Like…” Roxas stopped walking. He extended his hand in front of him and flexed his fingers. “Like this.”

“Huh.” Axel didn’t know quite how to respond. “I guess you buy into the ‘child psychic’ character?”

Roxas shrugged.

They kept walking.

“What’s yours?” Roxas asked.

“My what?”

“Your… whatever you said.”

Axel searched his recent memory. “Oh,” he said, “My theme.”

“Yeah.”

Axel smiled. “Fire. I’m what you call a pyrotechnician.”

“Oh,” said Roxas, unsure of how to respond.

“That’s why I always keep a couple flares handy,” Axel said. “Hey, Roxas?”

“Yeah?”

“You can light that flare now.”

Roxas perked up in recognition, then dove into his right pocket to find the flare he had stashed inside. He revealed it in all its red, cylindrical glory. Roxas looked up quizzically at Axel, unsure of how to light it.

“Do you still have the cap with you?” Axel asked. Roxas nodded, and retrieved the flare’s plastic cap from his other pocket. He fumbled with the three objects in his hands.

“Here,” Axel said. “I’ll hold the flashlight.” Roxas offered it to Axel, who held it steadily in front of them. “The cap has a little rough spot on the top. If you strike that on the button at the top of the flare just right, it’ll light.”

Roxas stopped walking as he fiddled with the flare. He had seen other people strike things like matches. Following a similar motion, he held the cap with his left hand and the flare with his right. With a jolt, he struck the flare to the cap. Nothing.

“You’ve almost got it,” Axel encouraged. “Try it again.”

Roxas repeated the motion. Instantly, a fountain of sparks shot out of the end, illuminating the tunnel with a bright light. Roxas jumped in surprise.

“Aim it away from you!” Axel cautioned. Roxas, recovering from the surprise, tilted the end of the flare toward the ditch in the middle of the tunnel. The sparks at the end maintained their intensity, forming a hissing plume a few inches long.

For a moment, Roxas felt like smiling.

“That’ll burn for a couple hours,” said Axel. “I’ve always gotta have a few flares on hand, being the pyrotechnics guy and all. They’re useful if you wanna look like you know what you’re doing.”

Roxas gazed at the fiery light and began walking again. Axel smiled to himself, proud of a correct assumption he had just made.

“Y’know, kid,” Axel said, walking alongside Roxas. “I think I’ve got you figured out.”

“Huh?” Roxas said, still watching the light.

“You respond to method learning,” Axel said, tapping his head.

“Method learning?”

“You learn better by doing things instead of having me yammer on about it.”

“Huh,” said Roxas. He watched the flare’s light leave an afterglow in his vision. “I guess so.”

“I know so,” Axel said. “And there’s more where that came from. You’d better be ready for a lot more method learning today.”

Roxas didn't know how to respond, so he didn't.

The two rounded a steady curve in the tunnel. Roxas could already see a better-illuminated tunnel further ahead, breaking off the main subway path. Axel couldn’t see it just yet. He was busy watching the flare in Roxas’ hand spatter haphazardly.

“Sheesh,” Axel muttered. “I didn’t realize my flares were that old.” Roxas looked at Axel questioningly. “They’re sparking all over the place. Here, let’s switch. I don’t want you to burn yourself on the first day.” Axel offered the flashlight back to Roxas, who paused, then accepted the trade.

“Hey,” Axel said, gesturing with the flare that he now had in his hand. “We’re almost there. Look, there’s the tunnel.”

Roxas had seen it, but he didn’t say that.

When they arrived at the entrance, Roxas felt a draft of air steadily breeze past his face. The air was slightly warm compared to the chill tunnel. For a moment, Roxas remembered the sea.

“Breezy,” Axel commented unnecessarily. “Probably because of the generator in here.” Roxas circled over to the side of Axel that didn’t have a burning flare by it.

“You know a lot about this place, Axel,” Roxas said. Axel shrugged.

“I’ve been to places like this. When there’s a breeze, that means something up ahead is warming up the air. Hot air rises, so it pushes itself out into the main tunnel.” Axel and Roxas traversed the slight negative incline of the new tunnel. “I’m glad I finally got to explore this part of the tunnels, though,” Axel continued.

“Why?”

“It’s just so close to the office. We haven’t had a ghost report here before, so I haven’t had a reason to come down here, y’know?”

“Yeah,” said Roxas.

The two continued down the smaller, boxy tunnel. Its function wasn’t directly apparent, but several different clues gave hints here and there. Thick metal pipes wound in and out, some cordoned off by messy wire fencing. Up ahead, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber.

“We’re here,” Axel said. A chill ran down Roxas’ spine.

Axel approached the larger chamber casually, setting the still-burning flare down onto the floor. Roxas marveled at his confidence, choosing to stay within the tunnel for the moment.

“Now,” Axel announced. “To diagnose our problem. C’mon, Rox.”

“Um…” Roxas said, hesitating. He did not move from his position.

“Kid,” Axel said. “You okay?” Roxas, frozen in the hallway, paused before answering.

“Shouldn’t you be more careful?”

“Huh? No, why?”

“The… ghost.”

Axel was about to reply when the implications of Roxas’ words hit him. He opened his mouth, then shut it.

“Roxas…” Axel gave an awkward half-laugh. “You know ghosts aren’t real, right?”

Roxas blinked.

“I mean,” Axel continued. “This?” He gestured at everything. “It’s all fake. You know that... right?”

A shadow moved in the corner behind Axel. Roxas shrank further into the tunnel.

Axel turned around to look at the thing that had startled Roxas. He saw the shadow, flickering around like the wick of a candle.

“Roxas,” Axel said, trying to sound reassuring. “It’s all right. Look.” Roxas looked and saw Axel reaching up. His hand grasped something by the lightbulb on the ceiling.

“This,” Axel said, “is our ghost.” He held it in front of him. Roxas focused on the object, seeing a single round leaf crumbling in Axel’s fingers.

“It was moving around in the lightbulb cage up there,” Axel said. “The air was blowing on it and making it cast shadows.”

Roxas conceded, creeping out from the tunnel and into the chamber. With wide eyes, he took in the surroundings, watching for possible escape routes, just in case. Another pathway extended out of the chamber, marked with a faded exit sign. The rest of the room was barren concrete with the occasional metal pipe. A rolled-up section of stiff wire fencing sat abandoned in a corner.

Axel rubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry, kid, I should’ve been clearer about it. I talked like it was a real thing we do…” He trailed off, watching Roxas’ expression of bewilderment.

“It’s okay, Roxas. C’mon, touch it.” Axel extended the hand in which he held the leaf. Roxas, unwilling to shrink away, reached out his own hand.

He touched the leaf, and part of it crumbled away.

“Feel better?” Axel asked.

Roxas exhaled nervously, then nodded.

“That’s good,” Axel said, breaking eye contact with Roxas. “If there’s anything else that’s scary, don’t be afraid to come to me, okay?”

Roxas thought in silence for a few seconds.

“Was that…” Roxas said. “Was that... method learning?”

Axel smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Okay,” Roxas said, his head still spinning. “So… there’s no ghosts.”

“Nope,” said Axel. “Stuff happens that make people think there are ghosts. Shadows, sounds, stuff like that.”

“But… what about when ghosts hurt people?”

“They don’t. Other things hurt people, and other people blame it on ghosts.”

“But…” Roxas trailed off. Something didn’t make sense.

“Yeah?”

“Nothing,” Roxas said. After all, he could think of no conceivable proof of the existence of ghosts. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Axel said. “I had lots of questions my first time, too.”

Roxas said nothing. Axel paused and looked around the room just as Roxas had, looking for the next task on the agenda.

“Well, it doesn’t look like our noise reports come from anywhere in particular,” Axel said, walking to the rolled-up piece of wire fencing. “What do you think would cause creepy noises in a tunnel like this?”

Roxas shrugged.

“My bet’s on teens.”

“Teens?”

“Yep. Kids your age.” Axel looked at Roxas. “I think,” he added. He propped the roll of wire up, testing its weight and flexibility. “They have a habit of going into places and creeping people out on purpose. That’s why the city likes to put ‘no loitering’ signs in places.” He unfurled a bit of fencing. “But who obeys those, anyway?”

“I do,” Roxas said.

Axel didn’t really have a response. “Well, regardless, I have a better solution.” He set his heavy backpack down and hoisted the roll of metal into his arms. He walked toward the path marked with the exit sign with a steely determination. Laboriously, he set the roll down on its end and began to unroll it across the tunnel entrance.

“This’ll keep ‘em out,” Axel said, pushing the fencing. “Or it’ll discourage them, at least.” He held the unrolled part in place with his foot, stretching out to move it further. The end of the fencing slipped from his foot, rolling back up to its original shape.

“Ugh. Hey Roxas,” Axel said. “Is there anything heavy around here? Like, cinder blocks or something?”

Roxas looked around the room, seeing nothing of use. He turned back to the tunnel they came from, remembering some various objects he had seen earlier. In front of him stood a few small cinder blocks and another roll of wire.

“Yeah,” Roxas said. “Got it.” He lifted a cinder block, judging its weight. To be sure, he loaded the other one into his hands.

“Actually, that might be a little heavy for — ,” Axel turned to look at Roxas, who was managing just fine. “Oh. All right then.” Axel unfurled the wire once again, prompting Roxas to brace it with the blocks he held. Roxas did so, stacking them on the floor and sliding them to the wall. Axel continued to unroll the wire, this time without incident. He walked the few paces to the other end of the tunnel entrance, unrolling wire as he went. Reaching the end, he propped the rest of the roll up against the wall. The pathway was now fenced off, and Axel looked at it with satisfaction.

“There,” he announced. “We’ve just busted a ghost.”

Roxas said nothing. He still couldn’t believe it himself.

“Now,” Axel continued, “let’s see what Xemnas sent you with.” Axel returned to the backpack he had left lying on the floor. It was next to the flare he had also set down, which was busy making a sooty mark on the concrete. Roxas followed, also curious about his new equipment.

Axel sat down on the floor, moving the backpack towards his companion. Roxas also sat down, as it seemed appropriate to do so. Axel thought about dumping the contents onto the floor, but decided against it. One by one, he placed each object on the floor, muttering their names like a chef on a cooking show.

“Dowsing rods, we’ve seen those… EMF meter, Geiger counter… ghost box? You really went and got everything, huh. How’d you get the money?”

Roxas shrugged. “Mr. Xemnas just gave it to me.”

Axel stopped mid-unload. “You’re kidding.”

Roxas shook his head. Axel leaned back, exhaling.

“Whoa. I hope that doesn’t come out of my salary.” Axel resumed digging. Before long, he had removed every item. The backpack sagged sadly, falling onto its front. Roxas reached for it and dragged the limp bag toward him. He unzipped the large front pocket, revealing another item.

“What’s that?” Axel said. Roxas handed the backpack to him. Axel was surprised to discover how hefty the bag still was. When he saw the items inside, however, that surprise vanished.

“Ah,” Axel said, revealing the contents. “Chains. Both iron and silver. No wonder this thing was breaking your back.” He removed the tight coils of chain and placed them on a free spot on the floor. With this, Axel gave a gesture to the entire spectacle. The two were surrounded with devices, many blinking with colorful lights and many shining with polished iron or silver.

“Okay,” Axel said. “Which one do you want to know about first?”

Roxas frowned a little, trying to pick one thing out of his overwhelming options. He settled on one, pointing at a vaguely rectangular object that looked quite like a large TV remote, or maybe a stick of deodorant. It had a small LCD screen in the center, which displayed nothing.

“Oh, this right here?” Axel picked it up. “This is an EMF meter.” He pushed a button on it, and numbers appeared on the screen. “It picks up electromagnetic fields. If you touch the top of it to something powered by electricity, it shows you how strong the field is.” Axel handed it to Roxas. “Watch that number,” Axel said, pointing to the 0.00 reading on the screen.

Roxas held onto the meter, watching the number. Axel pulled a cell phone from his own pocket and turned it on. It displayed the time of day and a default lockscreen. He held it up to Roxas’ EMF meter. Instantly, the number went up and the meter began beeping loudly.

“Whoa,” Axel said. “It doesn’t always work that well. Guess my phone has a pretty strong magnet or something.” He returned the cell phone to his pocket and the meter stopped beeping. “Anyway, these meters are pretty convincing to people who really believe in ghosts. If it detects a loose magnetic wave, it looks like it’s detecting a ghost. Even I have one of these. I think everyone in the office does. We’ll use one in our first client mission, so I’ll show you really how it works then.”

Roxas nodded, turned the meter around in his hands, and handed it back to Axel. A single beeping noise escaped the instrument. A false alarm, most likely.

Roxas, eager to discover more, pointed at the iron and silver chains.

“These? Well, obviously you’ve seen chains. For ghost hunting purposes, it’s best to use these if the clients are more… superstitious.” Roxas showed no sign of knowing why this was, so Axel continued. “The saying is that ghosts hate iron and silver, so they won’t cross a line made out of either. Silver is apparently more powerful than iron, but it’s also heavier. I’d advise you to not lug it around unless you need to.”

Roxas reached over and felt the chains in his hands. They were smooth and cold, much like metal. He enjoyed the cool touch as he listened to Axel’s explanation.

“The best thing about using chains, though, is how long they last. You don’t have to buy batteries for them, plus they’re indestructible. People always feel safer behind a chain. And even if the chain breaks, all the links are still there. You could just line up the links in a row and your clients would be none the wiser.” Axel tapped his forehead.

In the corner of the room, the flare sputtered out.

“That was fast,” Axel muttered. “I’d better invest in new flares. Anyway, what’s the next thing you wanna hear about?”

Roxas selected another object to the left of Axel. This one was the size of Roxas’ hand, made of smooth plastic. One face was mostly taken up by a thick-looking touch screen.

“That’s a ghost box,” Axel said, turning it on. It began to make radio static noises, fluctuating in intensity. The screen displayed an outdated-looking interface and the number of a radio frequency. “This one’s fun. It’s actually meant for ghost hunting, so it’s buggy enough to get some really nice results.”

Axel handed it to Roxas, who watched the radio frequency number steadily climb.

“Ghost boxes flip between radio frequencies to uncover secret messages from the dead. Then again, I’ve only used one once, and all I heard were the voices of news broadcasters covered in static. Try making it go faster and see what we can get down here.”

Roxas pressed a button marked with a plus, and the number moved faster.

“R…” said the ghost box.

“Whoa, hey! We’ve got something!” Axel said, scooting closer to the ghost box.

“S… Rah… … Ss... R… “ said the ghost box.

“Sounds like my name,” muttered Roxas.

“Spooky,” said Axel. “But sadly, very fake.” Roxas nodded, turning it off.

One by one, Axel explained and demonstrated every tool available to Roxas. This took some time, of course, but the two paranormal investigators felt the time hurry by like a businessman late for an appointment. Axel found joy in demonstrating his profession to a receptive listener, and Roxas found joy in learning it. More specifically, he enjoyed learning by doing. The little underground chamber became warmer as the two spent time in it, not because of the far-off generator, but because both Roxas and Axel were learning together. Axel was learning to teach, and Roxas was learning to smile.

“Now,” Axel said, smiling. “To put these all back in the bag.”

“I’ll help,” said Roxas. Together, the two gathered up everything, strategically stowing the objects into the backpack. Roxas reached for item after item, letting his thoughts tumble around in his head.

No, ghosts weren’t real.

Yes, it was fun to pretend.

Something still felt off. Roxas reached for the dowsing rods and swung them in hand. Their motions were random, without any real direction. He put them back in the bag.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Axel said, digging around in one of his pockets. “There’s one more thing you gotta have if you want to work here.”

Roxas watched as Axel produced a single silver key, suspended by a little chain.

“This,” said Axel, “Is the office key.” He handed it to Roxas, who received it gently and with a sense of honor. “If you ever have questions, or even if you just need to get into the office before anyone else, you can use this to get into our block.”

“Thank you,” Roxas said, feeling the chain between his fingers as it sat in his palm.

“It’s real silver,” Axel said. “Xemnas is pretty dedicated to our image, even if I think it’s a waste of money.”

“What’s the chain for?” Roxas asked.

“Oh. This one’s an older key. Probably used to be attached to a keychain, but I think that chain has been broken for a while now.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Roxas put the key in his pocket. Axel zipped up the backpack, everything fitting snugly inside. He gave it a light pat, stood up, then lifted it onto his shoulders.

“I think that’s enough learning for today,” he announced. “What do you say we head on back?”

Roxas thought he saw two pinpricks of light directly behind Axel.

“What, you wanna stay?” Axel said, leaning in to intercept his companion’s stare from the darkness behind him.

Roxas blinked and returned his focus to the real world. “No. No, I don’t think I do.”

Axel smiled. “There’s that ghost hunter’s instinct.”

\- - -

The stars glittered in the sky, still visible even in the lights of Twilight Town. All seemed quiet, with streetlights glowing lazily along the street.

Roxas didn’t quite know why he returned to the tunnels that night. Something seemed to drive him there, down the original route he had taken with Axel that morning. Maybe he wanted to resolve the conflicting messages in his mind. Why did Axel and Xemnas give him completely different messages? Which should he believe?

If ghosts weren’t real, why had he seen them before?

Roxas went unburdened, with no equipment. He remembered the way. Nothing would hurt him. He descended the steps and traversed the crate pile, concentrating on making himself lighter. He came to the subway tunnel, breaking into a light jog. By the dim light, he could see the rest of his path clearly. He ran.

Ghosts aren’t real. Nothing could hurt him.

Roxas came to the chamber, with the makeshift barricade on the left and the burned-out flare on the right. No leaves in the lightbulbs. No teenagers making noise.

Roxas stopped, heart rate at an accelerated pace. He felt his muscles tense.

If ghosts aren’t real…

Roxas felt every hair on his body stand on end. He whirled around to face the wall behind him. With wide eyes, he caught the shadow mid-swell.

… then what is that?

The shadow reached its full size, glowing eyes piercing through the darkness like beads of luminescent glass. They fixed on Roxas.

_ Good, _ thought Roxas.  _ It’s only as big as me. _

The shadow shot to the ceiling, sending a psychoactive screech that made Roxas’ head rattle. The energy bounced around the room, buffeting Roxas from every angle. He couldn’t track the shadow, but he knew it must be on the ceiling. He powered through the noise, dashing to a wall. Roxas readied his hand.

He spotted the shadow as it flickered in a high corner. Thinking quickly, Roxas glanced over at the old flare that sat on the other side of the room. With a push of energy, he threw it at the shadow, causing it to startle and vanish.

Roxas kept his back to the wall, searching for the shadow’s next hiding place. It flickered in right above him, poising for the kill. Roxas raised his readied hand and smacked the wall above him. He felt no ghostly chill. He had missed.

The shadow screeched again, causing Roxas to instinctively cover his ears. This, of course, did no good for him. The shadow slipped onto the floor, under Roxas’ feet. He felt the skin above his ankles begin to dry under the harsh cold. He ran psychic energy through his legs, but he knew it was only enough to fight the cold. He could feel the shadow reach itself higher, as if he were sinking into the ground. With a panicked push, he diverted the energy from his legs into his hand and blasted it into the shadow.

Another screech, and for a moment his legs were free. He stepped out of the darkness, but not fast enough. The shadow regenerated and seized his other leg. He pulled, both physically and psychically, but to no avail.

Frantically, Roxas searched his pockets for something, anything. He knew his power wasn’t strong enough after using it all to free his one leg. His hands went into one pocket, and then the other.

He felt something.

Grasping it firmly, he yanked it out of his pocket and held it with both hands. The office key shone in the flickering overhead light.

It was the best he had. Roxas put his hope in that key. He would have to release enough energy from his leg that it would burn him, but given the choice between living and having a burned leg, the latter was the best option.

Roxas aimed the key at the climbing shadow. With a breath, he channeled all his remaining energy into the key.

A psychic beam shot out of the tip, amplified by the silver. As it impacted the shadow, Roxas watched as it blew a hole into it as big as the shadow itself. It screeched louder than it ever had, its eyes snuffed out.

Roxas covered his ears, barely even feeling the pain in his ghostbitten leg.

Silence.

Roxas uncovered his ears.

He was still alive.

He slumped down onto the floor, exhausted.

Three figures approached from beyond the wire fence. Humans. Roxas could tell by their energy.

“Did you see that?” one asked another.

“I hope he’s okay.”

They sounded like kids. People Roxas’ age.

“Hey!” one shouted, a girl’s voice. “Are you okay?”

Roxas found it in him to speak. “You’re safe now,” he said. With a little effort, he peeled the fencing apart, snapping the thin threads of metal and pushing them to either side.

“Aah!” the kids shouted.

“D-did you do that?” one said.

Roxas felt himself slip out of consciousness, the silver key still in his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I plan on updating this fic chapter by chapter in a sort of monster-of-the-week style, as long as I have the motivation and the feedback. Please leave a comment if there's something you'd like to see! If this fic is received well, I'll write in some key points, such as the introduction of Xion and more details on the relationships between the other Organization members.  
> Have a lovely day! <3


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